José Ramírez finally had his moment in New York. After struggling at the plate in Yankee Stadium, Cleveland’s All-Star third baseman hit a home run in the ninth inning of Game 2.
The homer into the stadium’s famous “short porch” in right field came too late, but it was a positive sign for the Guardians.
The downside was that Aaron Judge also hit one for the Yankees.
Now down 2-0 in the AL Championship Series after two rough games in New York, the Guardians returned home Wednesday feeling hopeful about making a comeback with three straight games at Progressive Field—assuming they can win at least one of the next two.
The Guardians had the best home record in the AL this season (50-30), and the Cleveland crowd, while not as intense as the fans in New York, showed it was ready for October during the ALDS against Detroit.
“Obviously we would have loved to have taken one in New York,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said Wednesday before the team practiced on a chilly, cloudy afternoon. “But we still feel really good about our chances.” They should.
The Guardians had many chances to score in the early innings of Game 2 against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, but they missed them. Judge’s homer in the seventh inning, his first of the postseason, sealed a 6-3 loss for Cleveland.
The team finished 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 11 runners on base.
However, Vogt was happy with his team’s approach, even if the results were not what they wanted.
“We just weren’t able to get that big hit,” said Vogt, who will start lefty Matthew Boyd against New York’s Clarke Schmidt in Game 3. “We had pressure on them all night. It felt like every inning we had one or two guys on.”
“Our guys have been great in those situations for most of the year, and when you have one game where it stands out, it’s not going to get us down.”
This won’t slow down Ramírez, who bats in the middle of Cleveland’s lineup and is a key part of the team’s identity.
One of the best players in the game—Yankees manager Aaron Boone called him underrated before the series—Ramírez hasn’t played like himself this October. He’s hitting just .167 (4 of 24) in the postseason and is 1 of 7 with runners in scoring position.
That’s why seeing him run the bases without his helmet falling off was such an important moment.
When he’s at his best, Ramírez, who finished just one homer short of the 40-40 club in the regular season, can carry Cleveland by himself. His swing has been slightly off the last seven games, but he hit two hard balls in Game 1 that Judge caught in center.
“Hosey just needs to be himself,” Vogt said. “He had really good at-bats last night. He had an opportunity. We all expect him to get the big hit every time he’s up there, but he’s put that pressure on himself.”
“If there’s anyone I’m confident will come out tomorrow ready to go, it’s Hosey.” The Yankees feel the same way about Judge, who is likely this year’s AL MVP and one of the most feared right-handed hitters.
Judge, who hit 58 home runs this season, was only 2 of 17 with six walks and two sacrifice flies in the playoffs before he crushed a belt-high fastball from Hunter Gaddis, sending it 414 feet to center field, landing near Monument Park.
Judge smiled with a mix of joy and relief as he rounded the bases. Afterward, he joked that the ballpark’s “ghosts” might have helped him with his 14th home run in his 50th postseason game.
